Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Almaty and Zhuhai

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhuhai: $787 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Zhuhai
Learn more

Zhuhai Living Index

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Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Zhuhai

🇨🇳 China

$787

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Almaty and in Zhuhai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Almaty and in Zhuhai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,372 per month in Almaty vs $787 in Zhuhai, rent included.

Almaty $1,372
Zhuhai $787

A couple spends around $2,142 per month in Almaty vs $1,310 in Zhuhai, rent included.

Almaty $2,142
Zhuhai $1,310

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Almaty vs $1,833 in Zhuhai, rent included.

Almaty $2,913
Zhuhai $1,833

Almaty costs about 74% more than Zhuhai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Almaty sits 2% above the global median, while Zhuhai is 42% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 ₸5,949

$2.74 ¥18.31

380.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.86 ₸20.3K

$29.77 ¥199

50.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ₸4,022

$5.28 ¥35.26

68.56%

Cappuccino

$3.25 ₸1,469

$3.23 ¥21.58

0.62%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 ₸639

$0.47 ¥3.16

200.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₸399

$0.35 ¥2.36

151.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₸1,513

$1.21 ¥8.11

176.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 ₸1,827

$2.17 ¥14.46

86.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 ₸762

$1.60 ¥10.70

5.62%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₸390

$1.29 ¥8.59

-33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 ₸917

$1.10 ¥7.33

84.55%

Eggs

$2.43 ₸1,100

$1.70 ¥11.38

42.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.46 ₸5,632

$4.23 ¥28.27

194.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 ₸3,033

$2.30 ¥15.34

191.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₸4,905

$3.85 ¥25.68

181.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ₸813

$1.30 ¥8.67

38.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 ₸1,018

$0.59 ¥3.92

281.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 ₸1,314

$0.47 ¥3.15

519.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 ₸1,243

$1.49 ¥9.97

84.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.75 ₸337

$0.76 ¥5.08

-1.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 ₸248

$0.46 ¥3.10

19.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 ₸732

$0.31 ¥2.10

422.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ₸474

$0.43 ¥2.90

144.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 ₸1,167

$2.95 ¥19.68

-12.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.15 ₸5,042

$3.68 ¥24.57

202.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₸547

$0.61 ¥4.09

98.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 ₸1,104

$1.82 ¥12.14

34.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₸117

$0.13 ¥0.87

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.03 ₸9,957

$9.07 ¥60.6

142.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 ₸611

$1.48 ¥9.88

-8.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸288

$0.37 ¥2.49

72.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.16 ₸5,044

$7.23 ¥48.27

54.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 ₸324

$1.23 ¥8.23

-41.46%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$22.5K ₸10.2M

$15.5K ¥103.2K

45.73%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$30.3K ₸13.7M

$13.7K ¥91.4K

121.16%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$91.8 ₸41.5K

$56.1 ¥375

63.68%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$10.66 ₸4,820

$9.88 ¥66.0

7.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.86 ₸8,072

$16.63 ¥111

7.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.3 ₸31.8K

$81.8 ¥546

-13.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.60 ₸12.5K

$31.35 ¥209

-11.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ₸3,064

$7.58 ¥50.6

-10.55%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$449 ₸202.9K

$521 ¥3,480

-13.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ₸5.5M

$23.9K ¥159.4K

-49.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 ₸40.7K

$29.35 ¥196

206.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.02 ₸21.3K

$40.57 ¥271

15.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 ₸64.1K

$71.8 ¥479

97.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₸60.0K

$90.3 ¥603

46.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 ₸363.7K

$436 ¥2,909

84.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₸225.9K

$280 ¥1,873

78.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,429 ₸645.9K

$905 ¥6,042

57.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 ₸408.8K

$656 ¥4,377

37.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,503 ₸1.1M

$4,597 ¥30.7K

-45.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,559 ₸704.7K

$2,882 ¥19.2K

-45.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$870 ₸393.3K

$1,045 ¥6,977

-16.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.65

3.35

516.42%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Last update for Zhuhai: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Almaty

$500 36.4%

Zhuhai

$280 35.7% 43.9% $219

Groceries & Markets

Almaty

$250 18.3%

Zhuhai

$119 15.1% 52.5% $131

Eating Out

Almaty

$205 14.9%

Zhuhai

$90 11.5% 56% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Almaty

$185 13.5%

Zhuhai

$104 13.3% 43.6% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Almaty

$120 8.8%

Zhuhai

$83 10.5% 31.4% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Almaty

$84 6.1%

Zhuhai

$97 12.3% 15.5% $13

Getting Around

Almaty

$28 2%

Zhuhai

$13 1.6% 53.1% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Almaty versus $436 in Zhuhai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 20% higher in Zhuhai, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Almaty versus $30.00 in Zhuhai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $119 – making Zhuhai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Almaty

🇨🇳 Zhuhai

🕒 Local time

18:31 6:31 PM

20:31 8:31 PM

2 h ahead of Almaty

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,475,400

2,207,090

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.51 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

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Almaty Zhuhai 4,090 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Almaty vs Zhuhai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 74%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,058 per month in Almaty and $1,180 in Zhuhai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zhuhai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Almaty and $30.00 in Zhuhai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,372 in Almaty and $787 in Zhuhai. That's a gap of about 74%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Zhuhai, where all-in costs run around $787, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Zhuhai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zhuhai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Zhuhai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Almaty makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.